The Manhattan (cocktail)

If you’re looking for the perfect cocktail to sip while reading Modern Girls, I would suggest a Manhattan.  You can enjoy this strong and tasty libation right along with the characters in the book.

The recipe:

• 2 oz of whiskey (to be authentic you want rye whiskey or Canadian whiskey)
• ½ oz sweet vermouth (make sure it’s fresh, vermouth goes bad!!)
• A dash of bitters
• Maraschino cherry (it provides the sweetness and it’s required for an authentic drink!)

Stir the first 3 ingredients with ice for 30 seconds, strain into a glass and garnish with a cherry.

Once you’ve tried the straight up version above, I encourage you to play around with the recipe.  Make a dry Manhattan by using dry vermouth. You can make it ‘perfect’ by using equal parts sweet and dry.  You can also get creative with the bitters and/or the whiskey!

My favorite variation is ½ whiskey, ½ southern comfort and then I add a small orange slice to the cherry for garnish.  This is pretty much how my grandfather taught me to make them (at least close enough!) Its sweet, strong and sophisticated, I love this cocktail!

If you don’t have Manhattan glasses, serve it in a martini glasses or even a small rocks glass. If you like whiskey, you may find yourself drinking 2. Just beware, a little goes a long way! You’ve been warned!!!

Cheers!
Tracy